The Canucks confirmed Wednesday that they have hired Jim Benning away from the Bruins to serve as their general manager. He will be introduced at a Friday press conference.

Benning, 51, was the assistant general manager for the Bruins. The Edmonton native joined the B’s as director of player personnel in 2006 after spending 12 years in the Sabres organization.

Benning replaces Mike Gillis (a former Bruins forward), who was fired last month by new Canucks president Trevor Linden after the team finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 36-35-11 record. Coach John Tortorella also was fired.

Benning, a defenseman, and Linden were teammates on the Canucks in the late 1980s, although Linden said they had not been in touch since then.

“There were moments of clarity for me in speaking with Jim that we just really connected on a hockey level,” Linden said in a story on the team website. “Our beliefs on how success is built in the National Hockey League were very aligned.”

Added Linden: “Jim is an extremely hard worker, he recognizes how much commitment it takes to build a championship team. He’s a guy that doesn’t have an ego, I think he’s looking forward to rolling up his sleeves and getting to work, and he’s a very down to earth dedicated person, so he’s going to fit great in the structure with the organizational values that we want to create here. I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Benning has been an assistant GM under Peter Chiarelli since 2006, and it became evident he wasn’t long for Boston this season when he was interviewed for the Sabres general manager job this season. Though he missed out on the Buffalo job, he was long believed to be the front-runner in Vancouver once Trevor Linden was named Canucks team president. Dreger’s report suggests that Benning could try to hire former Predators coach Barry Trotz to replace the recently fired John Tortorella.

Bruins president Cam Neely said Tuesday that a potential loss of Benning is the cost of being successful.

“We have given permission for Jim to talk. He has talked to a couple different teams,” Neely said. “That’s what happens when you have success. Teams look at other organizations that have success and start inquiring about your management group. It’s something that a lot of good organizations have had to deal with over time and we are dealing with that right now.”

Said Jeremy Jacobs: “I think that it speaks to what’s now become sort of the Boston model. People do want to copy what you’re doing because of the success we have seen and we didn’t win this year, and got to the Finals the year before and all. These are enviable positions to be in. I love being here after a season like we just had. Disappointment in the playoffs and our objective is the Cup, it isn’t necessarily to have the best team during the regular season as it is to win the Stanley Cup. We will continue that objective and I think we will continue to grow from here.”

Benning will still have a connection to the Bruins, as his nephew, Matt Benning, was a sixth-round pick of the team in 2012. Matt Benning is currently a defenseman at Northeastern University.

According to multiple reports, the Sabres have asked for and received permission to interview Bruins assistant general manager Jim Benning for their GM job.

The Sabres fired general manager Darcy Regier and head coach Ron Rolston last week, and though Ted Nolan is the team’s interim head coach, the incoming GM will be able to hire his own coach. Benning is a logical fit for the Sabres given that he spent 12 seasons in the Buffalo organization before coming to Boston and having a successful run working with Peter Chiarelli in Boston.

According to TSN, other candidates for the job include Penguins assistant general manager Jason Botterill, Maple Leafs assistant general manager Claude Loiselle and Canadiens assistant GM Rick Dudley.

B’s GM Peter Chiarelli announced Wednesday afternoon that Bruins assistant general manager Jim Benning has agreed to a multi-year extension with the club. Benning is entering his fourth year with the B’s — and third season as assistant GM — after departing the Buffalo Sabres organization following a 12-year run in their front office. Don Sweeney was also named an assistant general manager of the Bruins last week, and both Sweeney and Benning will share the far-ranging hockey duties encompassed by the role.

‘Jim plays a critical role in our management group,’ said Chiarelli. ‘He takes a very aggressive and proactive approach in his recommendations and assessments underscoring his tremendous management ability and experience. His player evaluation is amongst the tops in the industry and his business acumen supplements our group greatly. We were very fortunate as an organization to hire him in 2006 and we are even more fortunate to secure him for the long term.’

Benning and Chiarelli will hold a Thursday morning press conference at the TD Garden to further discuss the deal and the assistant GM’s role within the organization.